This page maps sustainability in the pet industry across the value chain—from livestock and feed inputs to what reaches households. You’ll explore key greenhouse-gas drivers, including the role of livestock emissions and food-waste pathways. It also covers how packaging and plastics policies, recycling targets, and reporting practices influence recovery and demand for more responsible pet products.
Key Takeaways
- 18.2% of global direct GHG emissions from livestock are attributed to cattle, and cattle account for 65% of livestock-related methane emissions
- 5.3 gigatons of CO2e per year is the estimated global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock (FAO estimate for 2006)
- Textiles and packaging represent major shares of municipal waste streams; packaging waste is among the fastest-growing plastic sources (OECD Global Plastics Outlook)
- Global household food waste is estimated at about 631 million tonnes annually (FAO food loss and waste estimates)
- The circular economy framework in the EU includes a target to use 10% of secondary raw materials by 2030 (EU Circular Economy Action Plan indicators)
- By weight, aluminum is one of the most recycled materials in the EU, with the EU achieving 70%+ recycling rates in recent years (European Commission data)
- In the U.S., food is the second-largest source of landfill methane, and wasted food contributes to emissions (EPA data)
- EU packaging and packaging waste targets require that member states reach 50% recycling by 2025 and 55% by 2030 (Directive targets)
- EU Single-Use Plastics Directive requires separate collection for certain single-use plastics and aims to reduce plastic pollution (Directive framework)
- The global sustainable pet food market is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research estimate)
- The global pet care market size was estimated at $261.8 billion in 2023 (IMARC Group estimate)
- In 2024, the global pet food market was valued at $125.3 billion (Fortune Business Insights estimate)
- A 2018 FAO estimate indicates 14% of food is lost at the post-harvest stage and before reaching markets globally
- Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a key driver of land and GHG intensity; beef cattle average FCR is about 6:1 feed-to-bodyweight (peer-reviewed estimates summarized in literature)
- In the EU, renewable energy accounted for about 22.1% of gross final energy consumption in 2022 (Eurostat)
Livestock and wasted food drive major greenhouse emissions, so greener pet production and packaging are urgent.
Related reading
01 · Category
Regulation & Compliance8 stats
01
In the U.S., food is the second-largest source of landfill methane, and wasted food contributes to emissions (EPA data)
02
EU packaging and packaging waste targets require that member states reach 50% recycling by 2025 and 55% by 2030 (Directive targets)
03
EU Single-Use Plastics Directive requires separate collection for certain single-use plastics and aims to reduce plastic pollution (Directive framework)
04
UK regulation requires extended producer responsibility schemes for packaging under the Packaging Waste Regulations (UK)
05
The U.S. EPA requires reporting of greenhouse gas emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) for large facilities (threshold-based)
06
The Clean Water Act is the foundational U.S. law governing discharges to waters, affecting pet food manufacturing wastewater permits
07
The EU Chemical Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) authorisation framework covers substances that can affect supply-chain formulation, including additives in pet products
08
The EU REACH restriction/authorisation system requires authorization for listed substances of very high concern for specific uses, impacting chemical choices in pet supply chains
Interpretation
Regulation & Compliance Interpretation
Across Regulation & Compliance, governments are tightening environmental reporting and waste rules, with the EU driving packaging recycling targets from 50% by 2025 to 55% by 2030 and the U.S. linking compliance to emissions through EPA requirements and landfill impacts from wasted food.
02 · Category
Energy & Operations5 stats
01
In the EU, renewable energy accounted for about 22.1% of gross final energy consumption in 2022 (Eurostat)
02
In the EU, electricity generation from wind and solar increased to 29% of electricity production in 2022 (Ember/Eurostat compilation)
03
Global wind power capacity reached about 1,017 GW in 2023 (IRENA Renewable Capacity Statistics)
04
ISO 9001 certificates in 2022 were over 1 million worldwide (ISO Survey)
05
Over 4,600 companies had set science-based targets as of April 2024: June 2026 (Science Based Targets initiative)
Interpretation
Energy & Operations Interpretation
For the Energy & Operations angle in the pet industry, the rapid shift toward cleaner power is clear, with renewables rising to 22.1% of EU final energy consumption in 2022 and wind and solar reaching 29% of electricity production the same year, mirrored globally by wind capacity hitting about 1,017 GW in 2023.
03 · Category
Waste & Circularity3 stats
01
Textiles and packaging represent major shares of municipal waste streams; packaging waste is among the fastest-growing plastic sources (OECD Global Plastics Outlook)
02
Global household food waste is estimated at about 631 million tonnes annually (FAO food loss and waste estimates)
03
The circular economy framework in the EU includes a target to use 10% of secondary raw materials by 2030 (EU Circular Economy Action Plan indicators)
Interpretation
Waste & Circularity Interpretation
For the pet industry’s Waste and Circularity agenda, the fastest-growing plastic problem in packaging and the scale of global household food waste at about 631 million tonnes a year make the EU push to reach 10% secondary raw materials by 2030 especially urgent.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market & Consumer Trends3 stats
01
The global sustainable pet food market is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research estimate)
02
The global pet care market size was estimated at $261.8 billion in 2023 (IMARC Group estimate)
03
In 2024, the global pet food market was valued at $125.3 billion (Fortune Business Insights estimate)
Interpretation
Market & Consumer Trends Interpretation
Market and consumer trends in pet sustainability are gaining real momentum as the global sustainable pet food market is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2030 while the broader pet food market is already valued at $125.3 billion in 2024.
05 · Category
Emissions & Footprint2 stats
01
18.2% of global direct GHG emissions from livestock are attributed to cattle, and cattle account for 65% of livestock-related methane emissions
02
5.3 gigatons of CO2e per year is the estimated global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock (FAO estimate for 2006)
Interpretation
Emissions & Footprint Interpretation
For the emissions and footprint in the pet industry, livestock are responsible for about 5.3 gigatons of CO2e each year, and within those emissions cattle alone contribute 18.2% of global direct GHG from livestock while accounting for 65% of livestock-related methane.
06 · Category
Industry Overview8 stats
01
A 2018 FAO estimate indicates 14% of food is lost at the post-harvest stage and before reaching markets globally
02
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a key driver of land and GHG intensity; beef cattle average FCR is about 6:1 feed-to-bodyweight (peer-reviewed estimates summarized in literature)
03
$3.1 billion U.S. dollars was the estimated annual market value for functional pet supplements in 2023 (includes sustainability-fortified product segment demand in pet specialty categories)
04
$1.4 billion U.S. dollars was the estimated annual market value for premium pet food in 2023 (premium segment size used in segment-level sustainability demand analyses)
05
14% of global companies reported sustainability performance using third-party assurance in 2023 (assurance adoption rate relevant to ESG reporting maturity in food manufacturing)
06
1.2% of plastic packaging in the U.S. was made with recycled content in 2022 (baseline recycled-content intensity for packaging relevant to pet packaging)
07
By weight, aluminum is one of the most recycled materials in the EU, with the EU achieving 70%+ recycling rates in recent years (European Commission data)
08
6.0% of global municipal solid waste is food and other organic materials used to produce animal feed (including food waste sent to feed), excluding animal waste (OECD/FAO estimate used in the OECD outlook)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
The pet industry’s sustainability landscape is shaped by major upstream and governance gaps, including 14% of global food lost before reaching markets, beef’s roughly 6:1 feed-to-bodyweight FCR driving land and GHG intensity, and only 14% of companies using third-party assurance in 2023, even as the market grows with $1.4 billion in premium pet food and $3.1 billion in functional pet supplements.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Sustainability In The Pet Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-pet-industry-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Sustainability In The Pet Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-pet-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Sustainability In The Pet Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-pet-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)